TelcoTalk: Top 10 Telco Retail Mistakes

Nobody is perfect, except for me of course. But seriously, we all need a little help sometimes. We’re all prone to making mistakes but being aware of these mistakes, especially common ones, will save you and your business.

Top 10 Mistakes Made By Telco Retailers

1. Telcos are so focused on acquisition, that they tend to ignore their existing customers. Staff are rewarded for new sales, not repeated customer loyalty. Leaving customers to chase deals and then move on because they don’t feel valued.

2. Telcos don’t focus enough on customer retention. There’s a lack of special offers, staff aren’t focused on up-selling or cross selling, and service calls aren’t converted into sales opportunities.

3. Most telcos don’t have customer control systems in-store. Without a framework for how customers are queued or served, stores are chaotic and staff may miss big sales opportunities if customers walk out.

4. Many telco stores are poorly designed. Different types of transactions need different environments – like fast checkout areas and bill payment kiosks to reduce lineups or give privacy for sensitive transactions.

5. Lack of self-service kiosks. These are perfect for simple, repeatable transactions because they’re fast and they don’t tie up staff with small transactions that create long queues.

6. Paper contracts are just not necessary. They’re slow, costly, contribute to a poor experience, and are easily misplaced. Paperless solutions are loved by both customers and telcos. They eliminate all the drawbacks of paper and cut signing time in half.

7. Not offering a split between services and advice with your customers. Services that take longer than 10 minutes can be passed to a back-office specialist and quick fixes should have a dedicated area, so customers can get what they need quickly.

8. Not clearly identifying staff who can help customers with their technical questions. Customers shouldn’t have to search the entire store to find out who they need to talk to!

9. Staff aren’t properly trained in how to use tools that help customers. Telcos need clear in-store policies for backups and transfers. Equip staff for success and you will succeed!

10. Not educating your customers. Don’t leave them in the dark and frustrated – teach them to help themselves. Give them a device demo or download a self-care app on their phone – and they will be a customer for life.

Fixing Telco Mistakes

So, how does your telco store stack up in comparison? How can you make your store even better?

In my next blog, I’ll discuss how you can win your market in the next five years.